When I buy a DVD to watch, everytime I put it in the player, I do not want to be forced to watch 10 minutes of previews for other DVDs. I just want to watch the movie. Seeing ads for Tommy Boy, a collection of John Wayne film, the Billy Bob Thorton version of Bad News Bears, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off when I want to watch Airplane! was annoying.

I had a bad day. But, I also had a good day. I hung out with Joey after it being nearly a month since I last saw him. Joey's the big brother I never had. He's an ear that can tell me things from his experience. He can see things in a light other people can't see. He knows what I'm going through because odds are, he's been there, too. He gets me in a way no one has gotten me. We talked. I heard things I needed to hear, whether or not I wanted to hear. And yes, they hurt to hear, but at the moment, I'm glad I heard them. As a result, I do feel better. Hopefully, today is the day I start to get out of my depression.

I wasn't planning on being around him today. He was the one that called me and told me to get up and get out. I was going to get up anyways, but his phone call just made me move faster. We met out at Armstrong. He had some ACM business to attend to. I worked on my résumé. Finally, he called me to walk with him as he hung flyers. He got them up, and then we went to his house for a quick stop. At his house, I just talked to him a bit, as well as showing him a few things I wrote in my notebook. I know I've worried him with my depression. Then, we went to lunch downtown, as well as checked up on his mom, who was doing some research at the historical society.

Our only regret about the downtown trip is I didn't have my camera in my car. He assumed I had it. I didn't bother to ask to drop by my house because I didn't think he'd want to take pictures. And yet, both of us, in the end, wanted to take pictures. Photography is something we both like. I'm a lot more devoted to it than he is, but last semester, I never minded him using my camera. He enjoyed it. So, we missed out doing on something we both liked.

After our excursion downtown, I asked to stop by Best Buy. I picked up Airplane!. It was only $5.34 for it on DVD. I got a good deal. I had been wanting to see it since I saw The High and the Mighty. It was always one of my favorite movies as a child. I would have watched the movie with Joey had his new DVD player emitted sound into the surround sound system at his place. C'est la vie. It was his suggestion to watch it after he found out it how much it was going to cost me. But, I'm watching it how I originally planned to watch it - at home. And, he did something that embarrassed me, yet at the same time, impressed me. He knows my sisters work at the store. So, he asked me which one was working. I really didn't know if either one was on duty. I saw Beth was working returns today. I told Joey she was on duty and where she was at. He got in line and teased her. Even if it had been Nicki, and not Beth, he still would have teased my sister. He had only ever met Beth at my graduation. Finally, he saw she wasn't all there as she spoke to us. The girl had been up since 4 this morning. He told her to get some sleep and to skip going to the gym.

I was impressed that he didn't know her, and yet showed concern for her. He did the same for me a few weeks after we met. We barely knew each other, but he saw I was upset. He stopped to talk to me and to see if there was anything he could do for me. There was nothing he could have done, but that little act of compassion stuck on in my mind. In the many months since that day in 2006 we met, we've become good friends. But, even today, I still recall that one act of compassion and knew on that day he was someone special. I'm glad God brought him into my life.

Well, I am alive. And I am working on my depression. I will get over this. Things will be better. Now, to watch my movie.

[♪ Listening to: "Black Balloon" - Goo Goo Dolls]

Posted by Shawn at January 11, 2008 10:43 PM in General.